A Matter of Perspective
by Sound of Nothing
Summary: The truth was whatever you precieved. Light, dark, good, evil. None of it mattered. A killer could have more humanity than a priest. It all depended on how you saw him. It was all a matter of perspective. T for language. OCs included.
1. Everyone But Alice

**Um, I'm aware that the current summary doesn't really tell you a whole lot, so… Here. **

**Alt. Sum: A kindhearted mama bear, an air headed ditz, a rough tomboy, a stoic lawyer, and an optimistic cynic. When these five girls find themselves in a completely different world, will they be able to find true happiness?**

**See? Isn't the summary I had before so much cooler? Anyway, enjoy…**

**Disclaimer: Heart no Kuni no Alice does not belong to me.**

**Chapter 1**

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Marceline De Luca readjusted the grip on her luggage and hitched up her skirt in a desperate attempt to move faster in the crowd. It was a futile effort though, as two large trains had just arrived, and nothing short of a flood of people going the opposite direction as she now clogged both of the train station's walkways. The clamor of bells could be heard over the bustle of the station as the clock tower announced the new hour. _Crap, _she thought, willing the crowd to part for her. _My train was supposed to be here at 1:30. I'm so late!_ As if mocking her, the already wobbly wheel of her bag decided to get stuck in a crack, forcing her to let go of her skirt and tug at it with both hands. The stubborn piece of baggage finally broke loose, making it's owner stumble forward and trip over her own skirt. She was able to regain her balance though, and muttered an apology as best she could while holding a ticket with her teeth to anyone she might have stepped on. Disheartened, she gave up and instead aimed her sights at the area near the wall where the flow of people was much more spread out.

Tripping, stumbling, and giving a seemingly constant string of apologies, she finally managed to break free of the crowd. Breathing a sigh of relief, Marceline propped her luggage up beside her and leaned against the wall, trying to get her bearings. It was a classic train station, it's walls made of brick, and in her opinion, much nicer looking than those new blindingly white stations. Even the chain stores managed to look humble inside the place. A set of tracks separated one side of the station from the other, and a single analog clock, designed to mirror the ones on the clock tower, was placed dead center on the farthest wall, where the gates would- She shook her head violently. This wasn't a time to be admiring the scenery, she needed to get to the gates, damn it! She surveyed the crowd that unfortunately had not thinned, for an opportunity to jump back in.

Ahead of her, a girl caught her eye. She was of average height and walked at her own leisurely pace, but her hair, short and brunette with a sort of coppery tinge, reminded her of someone. Though she never recalled her friend owning such an odd piece of clothing – a black dress that greatly resembled Bernkastel's, and upon closer inspection, was in fact an exact replica – she supposed it was something she would wear. _No, she wouldn't be here, _she thought, as the girl turned her head to say something to a companion Marceline could not see. And though she was only able to catch a glimpse of them, she had eyes she would know anywhere. "Lorelei!" she shouted, taking the ticket from her mouth and waving her arms wildly. The other girl turned, brow furrowed in confusion, until she caught sight of her old friend wherein her expression relaxed into one of mild amusement. "Well, today is just full of surprises, now isn't it?" Lorelei said as she finally reached her.

"What do you mea-" Marceline began, but was cut short by the appearance of two other girls. One was petite; a bright smile was plastered on her face, and the way her big brown eyes stared at her curiously reminded her of a doe. The light pink sundress she was wearing, and the way she clutched her sunhat to her breast modestly only furthered the image of innocence. The other girl was just as short as the first had been, but was stockier, much more solid. She looked odd in present company; while everyone else was wearing dresses, she wore jeans, the hood of her jacket pulled up in a weak attempt to hide the earphones of her ipod. Both were familiar faces. "Rachell? Terra?" she said incredulously. Rachell waved, hat still in hand, while Terra greeted her with her boyish two fingered salute. Looking at Lorelei in disbelief, she continued, "You found all of us here?"

"Well," she replied. "Yes and no. Rachell told me she was going up to LA around the same time as I was, so I convinced her to go with me. We managed to catch Terra getting off of the train. And now you're here… We should hang out for a bit. It's been a while since we've seen each other, and we still have time before our train arrives. You agree, yes?" She had allowed her eyes to look away while talking, but now she set her gaze back on Marceline, expecting a reply. Though her gaze was not mean or glaring, something about it told her no was not the correct answer. In fact, she felt almost compelled to say yes, but… "Sorry," she responded. "But I'm already late for my train…"

"Oh?" the brunette said. "What number is it?" She handed her ticket over silently, trying to place how the other girl had changed over the past two years as she examined it. Her haughty, 'call me onee-chan!' grin and fiery gaze was gone, replaced by an amused yet indifferent expression that seemed to say 'you amuse me, but I really couldn't care less about you.' Her tone was different, as well. She spoke formally, English accent slipping in, with a voice that matched her expression. Marceline had seen both used before, but only on strangers and people she wanted to intimidate without actually being mean. She was pulled back to reality by the other's laugh that, while not quite fake, seemed more like a reflex than an actual laugh. "That train was delayed to two thirty," she said, smirking. "The station isn't the best place to catch up, is it? If you'd like, there's a quaint little waiting place outside that's close enough to hear announcements, and has an overhang for shade." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Terra whirl around, arms open in a challenge, to some poor person who had bumped into her. Before she had a chance to reply, Rachell tugged on Lorelei's sleeve. "Nee-chan," she began. "Can we go somewhere else? Terra-nee might get into a fight, and the guard said he was gonna kick her out if she got into another one."

-.-.-.

On their way out, Lorelei had insisted she treat them to some Starbucks. "I said two iced green teas, not three, correct? Because they gave and charged me with three," Lorelei said as she passed out their drinks. "Ugh, there's no way I can drink two…"

"I thought you could drink a whole pot as a 'true English lady,'" Marceline said with a laugh.

"Normally I could, but not of this Starbucks crap!" she exclaimed. Slowly, the aloof mask she had on was chipping off bit by bit. "If you hate it so much, then why did you get it?" Terra chimed in.

"Because," the brunette said matter-o-factly. "Tea is tea is tea. And I haven't had my tea in approximately twelve hours." The taller woman was about to chastise Lorelei for being a walking English stereotype, but stopped when she saw that the other girl's attention was not on her. She strided over to the table, just behind a lone figure and said, "Why hello there, Allison. Fancy meeting you here." Ally jumped at the sudden violation of personal space, but merely adjusted her glasses when she saw who it was. "Think of the devil," she muttered, shaking her head. "You're lucky my pencil broke. I would've stabbed you had it not."

"Aw, you were thinking about me?" she said in mock affection. "I'm touched and pleasantly surprised. I never thought you to be one for sweet sentiments."

"Yeah," the seated girl replied, not missing a beat. "I was just thinking about how much work I was able to get done without you interrupting me. Seems like even that dream was too good to be true, though." The other girls arrived at the table, and Lorelei took a seat as well. "Looks like the gang's all back," she mused, and passed the second iced tea to Ally. "I doubt you need this since you're so cold, but have it anyway."

"That's not necessary," she replied abruptly. A scowl replaced Lorelei's seemingly constant smirk for a moment. "Oh, Allison," she said smoothly, smirking once again. "You're so lawyerly now. Sure, you haven't grown an inch since middle school, but look at you now! With your glasses and business coat and suit pants and even a briefcase! I'm impressed. Have the tea, would ya? It's free and it won't make your stomach hurt." Ally reluctantly took the drink and sipped at it, wondering what the former was up to. "With all that work," she continued, smirk no longer amused but devious. "You probably don't have any time to play Pokemon, do you?" With a start, Marceline now saw why her friend was acting so strangely. After a year, two for her, of not seeing her friends they were practically strangers to each other. She was testing them to see if they had left behind their past selves. The lawyer snorted in disgust at her words and turned away, making Lorelei flinch. She pulled from her coat pocket an already ready DS, and handed it to the other girl. "Don't you ever say I neglect my Pokemon," she said, wearing a proud smirk. Lorelei laughed, a real full laugh this time, as she handed the game back. "All level one hundred," Ally continued, "and shiny. Legitimate, too. I even have an extra Celebi for the Soul Silver event…" The brunette's hearty laugh was cut off by a gasp. "You mean… I can have it?" All she got in reply was a mysterious smile.

Minutes passed in silence, and even Lorelei's amused smirk disappeared, leaving only a blank stare. She turned suddenly, and broke the silence, "That's a nice dress you have on _Natsuhi_." The woman glanced down at her dress, and was thoroughly embarrassed by the similarities, but instead replied, "Right back at you Bernkastel." The blue-eyed girl chuckled, again almost as a reflex. Marceline's theory of her friend's aloof attitude being a test was dashed then as she replied, "Touché. But I really can't see how you can stand to wear that in this heat." The others shifted uncomfortably at the sudden conflict. "And I can't see how you can wear these kinds of outfits all the time," she replied curtly, then continued angrily, "And I thought your bullshit aloof attitude was just a test." Lorelei managed a weak chuckle and focused her eyes on her tea. Smiling sadly she began, "It was. But I thought you'd like to see what I've become. Remember how I used to say how I felt kind of numb back in school? Well, in school, I was surrounded by friends, busy panicking at deadlines, having a blast on trips… Now though, there's nothing. Reality is becoming less and less real. And I've become apathetic. Why try to feel anything, when you're in a situation where it's impossible? I think… I wanna sit on top on of a clock tower and let my legs dangle while the wind whips around me."

"_What?"_

"To feel that kind of wonder and excitement you used to feel when you were a child… Unless you have a better idea, mum," she said, glaring at the older woman. Just as she was about to go into an all out rant, Terra interrupted. "Well, if we're playing twenty questions now, I have one for you, Lorelei," she said, throwing Marceline a cool the fuck down glance.

"Shoot."

"I've been meaning to ask you this for years… what's up with your eyes?"

"…_Excuse me?"_

"Your eyes are purple. No one has fucking purple eyes."

"My eyes are indigo," she replied haughtily. "A shade of blue so dark it retains an _almost_ violet hue."

"Jesus, you are such a girl," Terra said, leaning her chair back and placing her feet on the table. Lorelei glared at her, but she only stuck her tongue out childishly. "Yes," she said, annoyed and exasperated, "and last time I was in the locker room with you, you were too." The tomboy was forced to put her legs down as her chair almost tipped over. "Sorry," she said, shrugging. "That's what happens when your last name is Fightmaster." Rachell giggled at the name and Ally stood up suddenly. "Where d'you think you're going?" Terra called. Ally looked down at her watch, "Two twenty-five. Bathroom."

"Okay, there's a giant clock tower right frigging there. Why'd you have to look at your watch?" Lorelei asked.

"If you had a watch as cool as mine, you'd know," she teased, before running off to the bathroom. The other girl stomped furiously, and took a pocket watch out from somewhere in her skirt. "Mine is cooler! It's a pocket watch so it's much cooler than your stupid wristwatch!" she cried after Ally childishly, aloof mask finally off completely, and then muttered, "I swear, she runs on clockwork. I was trying to throw her off with the tea, but to no avail…"

"Wow~" Rachell said. "A pocket watch! Can I see it, nee-chan?" Lorelei, smiling victoriously handed the clock to the petite girl, and watched over her while she played with it.

After a couple moments though, she leapt up like a squirrel on a sugar rush, grabbing her bags and running toward the hedges at the edge of the garden. "Rachell!" her nee-chan called out. "Where are you going with my pocket watch?"

"There was a bunny in a cute little waistcoat!" she called back, never stopping. Lorelei, too, leapt up and grabbed her luggage. "ARE YOU HIGH?" she yelled, as she ran after her 'sister.' Marceline looked miffed to say the least, "I don't want you two getting lost!" The reply was faint, barely audible, but clearly annoyed. "They're just hedges! I DO NOT HAVE MY DAD'S SENSE OF DIRECTION!" The older woman sighed, gathered her things, and set off after them. Terra looked after them in disbelief. She didn't really want to leave, but she didn't want to be alone either. "Damn it…" she muttered as reluctantly dragged her baggage along with her.

Leaping over yet another hedge, Lorelei almost tripped over the other girl. "What… the hell… are… you… smoking?" she managed to say in between pants. Rachell looked hurt. "There really was a rabbit!" she cried. "And it went down this rabbit hole!" Lorelei looked up to examine the 'rabbit hole.' Whatever it was, it was most definitely _not _a rabbit hole. The giant gap in the Earth could only be described as a gaping gateway to hell. Or at least some preschooler's dream of a giant hole that went through to China. "Well," she said just as Marceline caught up. "If there was a rabbit, I'm pretty sure it's dead now."

"No!" Rachell cried, pushing her 'sister' in her tantrum. "No no no no no!" Lorelei teetered on the edge of the hole before falling in. The two girls left watched in horror as she fell. "…Now you have to go in there and get your sister," Marceline said, pushing the other girl toward the hole. "Eh?" she managed to cry out before she also fell, and exclaimed, "Mom!" The old nickname struck something within the woman. They were a family, damn it, and she had pushed her daughter down a strange hole. "MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE!" she cried, throwing herself over the edge. "Oh, come on," Terra groaned. "There's no way in hell I'm… Oh, fine!" She sat at the edge, legs dangling down, suitcase on her lap, and attempted to lower herself slowly into it. Unfortunately, the ground beneath her crumbled away, and down she went.

-.-.-.

Landing with a crash, Lorelei groaned, and tried to pick herself up. "Are you Alice?" a man asked her. He was tall, nicely dressed, with white hair and rabbit ears. "No," she replied. "My name is Lorelei Doyle-" It was all she managed to get out as her sister landed on top of her. "Are you Alice?" he inquired again. The girl giggled, "No, my name is Rachell Saito and I'm-" Once again, they were cut off, this time by Marceline falling on them. Lorelei wasn't even going to try to get up again. She was just going to lay here and hope against hope that the next person who fell down would not break her back. The rabbit man wasn't even bothering with his question any more, and merely looked on confused. "Oh, my children!" she cried hugging the girls to her chest. "I'm so sorry!" Lorelei felt like a rag doll, being pulled this way and that. "Mom, please!" she managed to get out. "YOUR BOOBS ARE SUFFOCATING ME!" Marceline removed the pressure from her daughter's head, and she gasped for air. The other two moved away, but the blue-eyed girl stayed put, afraid to move. When the coast finally looked clear she stood up, only to get crushed again. "Oh, come on!" she whined. "This isn't fair!" The rabbit man sighed. "Are any of you Alice?"

"Nope, my name is Marceline De Luca," she said. The tomboy picked herself up off of her crushed companion. "Too bad, man," she said. "Looks like you got everyone but Ally. You should keep that hole open though. She might still come through. I'm Terra Fightmaster, by the way."

"I suppose it can't be helped," he said sighing, and took out five bottles from his jacket. "My name is Peter White. Please drink these, all of you." Rachell downed the bottle immediately, as well as Marceline. "Wait," Lorelei said. "How do we know this isn't some date rape drug?" The two who had already drank their mysterious liquid looked down at the empty bottles, horrified, and Peter smiled. "You don't!" he said cheerily. Lorelei stared at her bottle intensely, shrugged, and downed it as well. "HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR FUCKING MINDS?" Terra shouted.

"Yep! But now since we've drank it, you have to, too!" the other three sing-songed in unison. They crept towards her, grinning madly and looking like some scene from Higurashi. She began to back away slowly, unfortunately for her, right into Marceline. She wrapped her arms around her prey, locking her arms in place so there was no chance for escape. "Oh, fuck you guys!" she yelled. "FUCK YOU. RAPE! RAPE! C'mon Peter, help a sister out!" Peter ignored her pleas and the other two crept closer, now cackling evilly. "Terra-nee-chan," Rachell whispered. "It's time to take your medicine~" Popping off the cap, she forced the liquid into the other's mouth. Lorelei forced her jaws shut before she had time to spit it out. "Swallow it," she said like a rapist, "and I'll let go of your mouth." The other complied, and suddenly everyone was back to normal. "Heh, that was kinda fun," Marceline commented. Lorelei nodded in agreement, "I concur. I've always wanted to do something like that…"

"We should do it again!" Rachell exclaimed.

"No. We should not. Never again. Ever."

The three who weren't traumatized laughed heartily at that, before Peter cut them off. "I apologize for interrupting your fun, but I must return to Heart Castle. Please make sure your friend drinks this if she ever arrives," he said, throwing them an extra bottle before hopping off.

"Wait, rabbit man!" Rachell cried. He paused and she continued, "Just what did we drink?" He turned back and smiled brightly. "It was the medicine of the heart," he said. "Now that you've drank it, you have to play the game." He hopped off before she could ask another question. Rachell looked horrified. "You mean, it's made of heart juice?" she cried.

"No, Rachell," Terra deadpanned.

"Then it's medicine to cure heart disease?"

"Rachell, please stop talking."

In the end, Rachell and Marceline decided to explore, while Lorelei and Terra stayed. "We'll be here. Try not to get raped or anything," Lorelei called after them. Marceline rolled her eyes and said, "We'll be fine. You two try not to fall off the clock tower. And don't scare whoever owns it, please."

After wandering around the square for a bit, they found their way into the forest. Even though she had never been an outdoors person before, Marceline admitted it was quite pleasant. The sun filtering through the trees, the bird song, the stillness… Perhaps it was the lack of responsibility she had that she was really enjoying. Out of the blue Rachell chimed in, "So what kind of game do you think we'll be playing?" Marceline smiled softly. "Whatever game it is," she mused. "It's sure to be a wonderful one." Somewhere in her heart, she knew that from now on, everyone was going to be much more happy.

-.-.-.

Back at the clock tower, Terra leaned back, relaxing. "This clock tower sure is beautiful, huh?" she asked. "You can finally have your wish, too." Lorelei nodded, striding over to the edge, and leaned against the wall there. The sun shone down brightly and the wind whipped her hair and caressed her face. She breathed the cool air in deeply, as she took in the beautiful view. Somewhere below, someone released some birds. One, two, three, four, five, all flying free. Something struck her, suddenly, an overwhelming feeling. "How is it?" Terra asked. "How do you feel?" Tears sprung to her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop them. "It's beautiful," she said, struggling to control her voice. "I feel so free. So… Real." Lorelei turned to her friend, and let the tears flow freely. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Have you ever seen anything so beautiful, ever been so happy you could cry?"

-.-.-.

"Hey, guys," Ally said as she got back to the table. "Guys? If you're trying to pull a prank on me, it isn't funny any more." Looking around, she failed to find them. "Jeez, if you're gonna leave, don't do it while my stuff is still here!"

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**So yeah. That was that. Sorry this chapter was so wordy. I also got kind of lazy at the end… Next chapter, Ally comes to Wonderland and we get to meet people! YAY! Anyway, updates will probably come weekly. Maybe. So, uh, the end. For now. **

**Review if you like it. Or if you didn't like it. Well, you don't have to, but I'd appreciate it if you did. Constructive criticism is very welcome. I know you can't tell yet, since they haven't really interacted with any characters, but please tell me if my characters are becoming Mary Sues.**

**Um, thanks for reading. :D**


	2. Attractive Men

**Er, this is chapter two… Ally joins our group, completing our five man band and we continue our adventure in Wonderland! Um, this'll follow the manga a little bit (at least for meeting people) and then it'll do its own thing… There was more to this author's note, but my computer was mean and deleted it, so let's just get on with it, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: Heart no Kuni no Alice does not belong to me.**

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**Chapter 2  
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Ally stared down angrily at the doodles she had been working on before the quartet had interrupted her. Even if it had been nice to see them again - though she would never openly admit it – she almost wished they hadn't interfered. If they had never met up with her again she wouldn't be feeling so lonely. Then again, she would've been stuck doodling by herself for two hours. She glanced at her watch and sighed. It was 3:30; she would still have another half hour before her train arrived. Half an hour by herself was going to feel like hell after that. Sighing again, she packed up her stuff and wandered cautiously past the hedges. They couldn't have wandered too far, could they? As she stepped over some more brush, her jacket caught on the branches. She turned, and tugged on it with all her might, before it finally let her go. Barely having time to grab her luggage again, she fell forward, into a mysterious hole.

-.-.-.

Rachell tugged at Marceline's arm and whined, "Mom, we've been wandering around for hours. I don't think we're going to find the Cheshire Cat or the Mad Hatter. Can we go back now?"

"Well, you see," the older woman replied sheepishly. "I wasn't paying attention to where we were going, so I don't really know how to get back." She scratched her head, embarrassed, and Rachell gaped in shock. "But…" she began, appalled, "Moms are supposed to know everything!" Marceline struggled to hold back a biting comment, but the petite girl stopped in awe before she could respond. "Whoever owns that must be loaded!" she exclaimed, pointing towards a huge mansion. It was true. From what they could see of it, the mansion was indeed beautiful. It was an enormous residence, so much so that it while it was quite a ways away from the gate, it the gate still interrupted the view. It's huge white walls extended far enough skyward to include at least five stories. Even the gate in front of them was magnificent. It was large, made of the same white stone that the mansion was made out of, and had intricate designs carved into the stone. The bars were high; suits of cards etched into the thick horizontals pieces, and had quite a large break in the middle. "Too bad there aren't any gatekeepers," Rachell said. "If there were, we could just ask them how to get back…"

"Well, since there's not," Marceline said, smiling, "it looks like I'll just have to throw you over!"

"E- Eh? Why would you do that?" the younger girl managed to squeak out. "You can't just throw people over fences!"

"'Cause there has to be someone in there that can help us, right?" she replied, then paused and thought for a second. "But I suppose I can't just throw you over. I don't trust you to not land on your face." Rachell looked at the other, stunned. _That really isn't what I meant,_ she thought, half scared that her friend would actually throw her over a gate, and half offended that she didn't think she could land on her feet.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped," Marceline said, getting on her knees. "There's just enough space in the break in the gate for you to get through. Climb on my shoulders and I'll lift you up." With Rachell's agreement, chaos ensued.

"Ah, stop wobbling! I'm going to fall!"

"Well, stop flailing! Do you know how hard it is to balance in heels?"

"You didn't take your heels off?"

"Well we need all the height we can get!"

"Gah! Don't let go of my ankles!"

"Well if I don't move my skirt away from my legs, I'll trip!"

"Why didn't we do this closer to the gate?"

"That's a very good question."

"I don't like this plan anymore…"

Rachell was finally able to grab the top of the gate and steady them. Looking down she let out a panicked squeak at how high she was and let go of the bar. "Rachell!" Marceline exclaimed, readjusting her grip so the girl wouldn't fall backwards. "You have to hold on. Just put one leg on top so you can swing yourself over. I'll catch you if you fall." Terrified, she obeyed, and the older woman continued, "Now you're going to pull yourself up with that leg's help and-"

"Hey! What d'ya think your doing?" a boy emerging from the forest cut her off. He had short hair, wore a blue uniform, and – most evident – was holding a giant axe. The two girls froze. "Mm? What's going on brother?" a boy in red asked. "Oh, who're they? Spies?"

"Mm-hm," his brother answered. "Gowland's really running out of options though. These are the most incompetent spies I've ever seen!"

"But they sure are the prettiest…" the other mumbled turning his head to get a better view up Rachell's dress. The girl let go of the bar in an attempt to pull down her skirt and tumbled off the gate. Marceline caught her then turned to the boys, "You're… the gatekeepers?"

"Yep!" the one in blue said cheerily. "And now that you've been caught, you have to play a penalty game!" He swung the huge axe around for better grip, cheery grin still on his face. "But it's okay," his twin said, following his example. "Since you two are pretty, we'll go easy on you. Your deaths will be quick and painless." Marceline stepped in front of her companion as if that would stop the axes. The other girl cowered behind her and whimpered pitifully. They swung their axes high in unison, and-

"Hey, were you brats slacking again?" the two tripped forward, balance lost, and their axes fell harmlessly to the ground. A rabbit eared man appeared, though he was much bigger than Peter had been. He towered over Marceline's impressive 5'9", wavy blond hair framed his strong jaw, and he had a strong frame. His uniform was much nicer than the two gatekeepers; in fact it looked like something a royal guard would wear, though he wore a tattered purple scarf around his broad shoulders. "If you wander away from your posts, you'll keep guests waiting!" he scolded, whapping the two on the head.

"But they aren't guests!" the two protested. _They're actually kind of cute when they aren't trying to kill people,_ Marceline thought, as she watched the scene before her unfold. Their gatekeeper uniforms, while not nearly as elaborate as the man's, had a certain charm to them. Short hair poked out from under their caps, and their faces were exactly the same… She giggled when she realized their uniforms were color coded to tell them apart. "They're spies, stupid chicken bunny," the one in blue said matter of factly.

"Yeah, spies!" the red clad one said, nodding enthusiastically. "We caught em' red handed, trying to get over the gate!"

"Spies, huh?" the rabbit-man said, scratching his head. "Looks like I have no choice then. It's fine though. I've been looking for an excuse to test out my new gun." He pulled a revolver from his belt and aimed straight for Marceline's heart. "I want nee-chan! I want nee-chan! I want nee-chan!" Rachell wailed.

"Why are you asking for nee-san when your mother is willing to protect you?" she asked angrily. She refused to be insulted like this in her last moments of life. "B- but nee-chan has a gun!" she whined.

"AND SHE DIDN'T GIVE IT TO US?" Great. They were going to die because Lorelei had forgotten to give them a gun to defend themselves. If they got out of this alive she would kill her. Kill her dead. Or at least pour her tea in a river. She shut her eyes as he cocked his gun, body rigid as she awaited death. An insanely loud bang pierced the air, but the pain never came.

"Elliot, what do you think you're doing?"

Opening her eyes, she saw an aristocratic man with an amused look on his face. One arm hung languidly at his side, cane in hand, while the other tilted Elliot's gun skyward. "You shouldn't point your gun at such nice young ladies. While I wasn't expecting any guests, that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to have them over another day." Marceline glanced at Rachell and sighed. The girl's eyes were wide in awe and wonder, and her mouth was slightly open; obviously star struck. Her mind had overloaded with the amount of attractive males and had shut down.

"I don't think they're guests, boss," Elliot said. "The brats said they caught them trying to climb over the gate." The man turned to the girls and raised an eyebrow. Marceline's face immediately heated up. "Um, uh, er…" she stuttered. "W- while that is true we aren't spies! We just kinda got lost… There was no one here to help us or let us in at the gate, so we, uh, decided to climb over… Um, could you please point us in the right direction?" _Oh God, _she thought, mentally face palming. _I'm going full retard._ It wasn't over the white clad man though, oh no, it was the shame and humiliation of being caught and having to tell another person. If she had succeeded, she could exaggerate the story and tell it as some hero's tale. But being forced to explain herself after being caught _with Rachell panty flashing everyone_ would shatter even Lorelei's ego, if only for a bit. Being forced to explain this to a bunch of very attractive males was not helping matters. "Of course, sweetheart," he said smoothly, and gestured to a very clear path. "That road should take you all the way back to the clock tower." Marceline face grew even hotter at realization that there had been an obvious path, as the man turned away. Gathering up what remained of her dignity, and Rachell, she scurried away. "Anyway," he said, not realizing he was talking to air, "I'd like to ask you ladies some ques-" He turned, and flashed a charming smile "-tions?"

"Those tarts ran off the moment you showed them the road," Elliot said, and crossed his arms. "They're really rude."

"Not rude," he responded, smiling to himself. "Just confused. I think those girls were outsiders."

-.-.-.

"Christ, can you warn me before you start bawling because of the fucking scenery?" Terra said, wiping the tears from her eyes. She was prone to feeling other's emotions if they were strong enough, and had burst into tears as well. "Whoops. My bad," Lorelei said impassively. She allowed a few moments to pass before continuing. "Sorry, but I can't even pretend to care enough to feign remorse. While the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, it doesn't change much." She turned to her companion who was lying a ways away from her, but received no response. Perhaps she hadn't been clear enough? "I'm bored," she complained. Still, no response. Frustrated, she kicked off her shoe and threw it at the other. "Gah! What?" she said as the Mary Jane collided with her head.

"Amuse me," she said simply. Terra looked at her disbelievingly. "Are you serious? Go amuse yourself!" she said defiantly, and turned away. Lorelei pouted and kicked off her other shoe. "That requires too much effort. You amuse me," she said, shoe in lap.

"You sound like a frigging robot," the other girl mumbled groggily, still turned away from her.

"I'll throw my shoe at you if you don't wake up," she responded.

"Argh, fine," she said getting up. "Why don't you go inside if you're so bored?"

"That would be trespassing, and I want to make a good impression on the owner of this place. Now, amuse me."

"No! Why do you have to be so damn difficult sometimes?"

"I think amusement is something relatively little to ask for," she replied, smirking. It was fun to see Terra all riled up. "Well considering the person it is a lot!" she said, exasperated. "You probably wouldn't be satisfied 'till I jumped off the tower or some-"

"Shh!" Lorelei interjected, attention now focused on the stairwell. The girl paused briefly, but heard nothing. "Don't you shh me-" She was cut off once again, this time by the girl's fiery glare. "Be. Quiet," she deadpanned. Terra could hear it now; The heavy footsteps of someone working their way up the stairs at their own rhythmic pace. The tension in the air was so thick it was almost tangible, and the footsteps were getting closer now, whoever it was would be there soon, and holy mother of run on sentences why did this sound like a horror movie?

A man appeared at the doorway. He had a calm face and serious eyes, but upon seeing them he flew into a bout of rage. "Who are you two?" he said urgently, striding up to Lorelei. She was surprisingly calm and opened her mouth to reply, but he grabbed her shoulders forcefully before she could. "Why are you here?" he asked sternly. "Never mind that. No one is supposed to be in the clock tower! Leave at once!" Lorelei winced in pain as he thrust her back with each statement, still holding onto her, and tightening his grip with each thrust. "Sir, if you would only listen-"

"Why you're here is irrelevant! Get out!" Terra saw her friend's face screw up in frustration at the assault, but there was something else there. She looked almost… upset? The very thought was so inconceivable that she threw it out of her head immediately. Lorelei swallowed thickly, and though it was hard, met the man's glare with a gaze of her own. She didn't glare or glower at him, just… really _looked _at him. "Please, sir," she said evenly, "If you would only give us a chance to explain ourselves before getting angry." His eyes widened as if seeing her for the first time, and the tight grip he had on her arms loosened. Lorelei took this as an opportunity to step back from him and brush herself off, all while maintaining eye contact. His outstretched arms fell to his side and she looked up at him sincerely. "I don't like being unjustly yelled at," she said earnestly. "We did not go into the Clock Tower. We stayed here on the balcony, like good little girls."

Terra shifted awkwardly as they held each other's gaze for another moment. It was uncomfortable being here, especially with things so… intimate? Passionate? Whatever. No one seemed to notice she was there, Lorelei was a lucky bitch, and she felt like she was intruding. "Well, if you didn't go into the Clock Tower, how did you get up here?" he asked doubtfully. Mistaking this for an opportune moment to make herself noticed, Terra jumped in. "We fell from the sky," she said certainly, oblivious to how unlikely that sounded. It did get the man to acknowledge her though, even if only to give her a glance that either said 'who are you and when did you get here' or 'what are you smoking'. Her success was short lived though, as he gave up on her, and turned back to Lorelei for answers. The girl groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose before answering. "Well, you see…" she began before Terra cut her off.

"Um, Lori?"

"Problem Terra?" she managed through clenched teeth.

"You might wanna look up."

They did. Falling from the sky was a girl wearing a suspiciously familiar long coat and her luggage. Lorelei sighed and outstretched her arms, knowing that it was too late to move. Her knees buckled as she caught the girl, but remained standing nonetheless. Signature smirk returning, she looked over at Terra and mouthed, "Who's awesome?" She rolled her eyes, making a show of being annoyed with her before her composure was broken upon having Ally's luggage clatter to her side. "Like that," Lorelei deadpanned to the confused man.

"See? I told you!" Terra said, punching the air. "Pfft- and you didn't believe me." Ally attempted to stand up, but almost immediately fell back into the other girl's arms. "Ugh, my stomach hurts," she complained. Popping the cap off with her teeth, Lorelei shoved the extra bottle into her mouth. "Drink it," she said to the struggling girl. "It'll make your stomach feel better." She removed the bottle from her mouth, and the girl said, sputtering, "I swear to God, if that was some liquefied form of LSD-" She gasped as day turned to night in the blink of an eye, and Lorelei put her down. "It seems you too have a few things to explain to us," she said, raising an eyebrow at the man. "Perhaps we should discuss this inside over a warm drink? We'll make it of course." He stepped aside and she ambled toward the stairway, tugging a perplexed Allison along with her. "Terra, the luggage if you would," she said politely, though it sounded more like a command. Terra hopped off the bag she was sitting on, and began gathering them up. "Why do I always gotta do this shit?" she grumbled to herself.

"Because," she was barely able to hear as she too ran to the stairs, "you're the strongest and you were also next to the luggage."

"It was a rhetorical question!"

"I know."

Terra could practically see that stupid smirk of hers. The only thing preventing her from letting the luggage topple down the stairs and (hopefully) crush the girl was the man in front of her. He really was handsome with his composed attitude, and serious eyes… And of course the fiery passion in his eyes when he got angry only served to make him more attractive… Not to mention his flowing purple hair that he somehow made work. It wasn't disgusting and greasy like half of the long haired man population back home had, nor did it make him look like a flaming homo. No, the way those silken locks flowed even with the slightest breeze just made her wanna reach out and grab- _No Terra, fangirling is BAD!_ She thought, mentally slapping herself as she finally made it down the stairs. Lorelei placed a dazed and confused Ally on a chair and smiled at the man. "My name is Lorelei Doyle," she began. "This is Allison Cai and she's Terra Figh-" Terra promptly shut her up with a pop to the shoulder. She glared at the tomboy and growled, "Terra. Just Terra."

"Julius Monrey," he said warily. Lorelei flashed him a charming grin. "Well, Mr. Monrey," she said. "What would have to drink?"

"Coffee," he replied. The girl went rigid, smile gone from her face, before turning to the other girl. Her smile was now forced and the corner of her mouth was twitching slightly. "You wanna get that, Terra?" once again, it was much less a question than an order.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," she said, wondering what the other's deal was. While Lorelei was no stranger to passing on work she didn't want to do, if she said she'd do something, she'd fucking do it. This was… unusual. Whatever. That just meant it was Terra – 1, Lorelei – 0. Oh, Jesus she did _not _just do that. Lorelei leaned back and hung a tea bag in front of her face. "While you're in the kitchen, make me some tea, will you?" she asked. Terra grabbed the stupid bag and tramped over to the kitchen. Before going in she turned around and said sarcastically, "Might I take your order, Allison?"

"Just… some water is fine," she replied blankly. Jeez, she was really traumatized. Terra gave a boyish two fingered salute, before heading into the kitchen. "Remember!" Lorelei called after her. "You have to brew it on low! If you don't the tea will be flat! And steep it for five min-"

"I THINK I CAN MANAGE SOME GODDAMN TEA."

-.-.-.

As she left the kitchen with their drinks, she could hear Ally mumbling. "Why doesn't anything make sense here?" she groaned, laying her head on the table.

"As if our world makes any more sense," Lorelei replied seriously, as Terra stepped into the room. "When I was young, it was all about blonde singers who wanted their boyfriends to hit them one more time, and how their loneliness was killing them. Now it's all about sparkling faggots performing c-sections with their teeth, and fifteen year old boys who sound like little girls." Thankfully, Terra was able to make it to the table before bursting into laughter. Ally managed a chuckle before returning to her melancholic state due to logic withdrawal. Even Julius, who didn't get the references, had a smile playing at his lips. Damn it. Lorelei – 1, Terra – 1. The tomboy slouched in dismay. "I really don't see what's so funny," Lorelei said, though her small grin betrayed her words. "Now if we could get on with-"

She was interrupted by the door flying open. "Always freaking interrupted," she muttered, obviously miffed. Marceline was in the doorway, dragging Rachell along by the back of her dress. The latter was blathering and whining about how she wanted to see the attractive men again, but stopped when she saw them. "Hi, Ally-nee!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Oh, you guys met an attractive man too!" She pranced in and took a seat, with Marceline right behind her. She nearly fell into her chair, exhausted, and sighed, "You guys are not going to believe what happened to us."

* * *

_"Hey Gakupo," Terra said, as she walked into Julius's office._

_"...Excuse me?"_

_"Gakupo. That's your name, ain't it?"_

_"No, my name is Julius."_

_"Whatever, Gakupo."_

_"My name is Julius!"_

_"Sure it is, Kamui Gakupo."_

_"It's Julius Monrey!"_

_Lorelei burst in. "Really? I thought it was pronounced Monri instead of Monray..."_

_"Lorelei! Get out! This is my alone time with Julius!"_

_"Well this is my room!"_

_"This is my office..."_

_"And my room!"_

_"We haven't even been assigned rooms yet! That happens in the next chapter!"_

_"YOUR ARGUMENT IS IRRELEVENT. I HAVE GUNS ON MY FEET."_

_"What? No you don't! That hasn't happened yet! We haven't even met Boris!"_

_"Who's Boris?" Ally said randomly appearing beside Terra._

_"Foreshadowing~" Rachell said, waving her arms about mysteriously._

_"Okay, come on guys, let's stop breaking the fourth wall now..." Marceline said, ruining their fun._

_"Aw, kill joy," they said as they were herded out._

_"Why are you still here?" Julius asked, exasperated._

_"'Cause it's my room. Duh."_

**YAY! Chapter 2! Did anyone feel that the Julius encounter was kind of… I dunno. Sexual? Reading it afterwards, I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable at the intimacy. Poor Terra. I made Lorelei such a bitch XD**

**The next chapter has the girls getting annoyed with each other, pointless banter, costume porn, and a grand journey to get Allison to Peter! Oh~ So exciting~ And yes, the part in italics was an omake. I'm going to be including a (hopefully) humorous one after each chapter that'll have no real bearing on the plot.**

**Pairings will happen eventually, and will probably be decided with your help!**

**What are your opinions on my characters? Let me know with a review! Pretty please?**


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